One in six of the UK adult population is affected by hearing loss according to the British Academy of Audiology. In jail that can compound problems and lead to the person not only suffering from hearing loss but being punished for related behaviours.
I have worked in the past with deaf young people in prison and I have been struck by how ill-equipped prison is to deal with the needs of deaf people. From obtaining reasonable adjustments, such as a vibrating alarm clock to obtaining access to interpreters. Much has been written about this by academics and organisations with a expertise in the needs of deaf people: see, for example, this report by The Howard League by Daniel McCulloch, this report by the British Deaf Association and research by Dr Laura Kelly reported in the Prison Service Journal.
However, I am ashamed to say that despite working in the criminal justice system for over 20 years, it only dawned on me, after I had done some training with Empowering Deaf Society, that there are many people who have hearing loss who are unaware of it. For people in prison, this can cause huge problems.
One client of mine has been persistently punished in prison for being verbally aggressive (he speaks loudly) and playing his music too loudly. In fact, arguments about playing his music too loudly in the run up to his parole hearing could very well have led to adjudications and impacted on his chances of release. Another client has similar issues. In both cases, I have only recently realised that that it is likely that both have significant hearing loss that likely explains these behaviours, rather than innate aggression or any disrespect for others. It is easy to put loud speaking down to other possible causes, such as the fact that prisons are noisy places or vulnerable people in prison routinely struggle to get their voices heard and feel compelled to speak loudly.
But there may be a simpler explanation, which should always be explored. Don’t assume healthcare will pick it up for people in prison or clients will know to ask for themselves. Have the conversation with your client about whether hearing loss needs to be considered – it could be transformative to their experience in prison.